Farnoosh Torabi's Blog, page 79

GMA: Rising Costs in 2011

It was an early start New Year's Eve, with a stop at Good Morning America, to discuss rising costs in 2011 – from gas to heating oil, food and airline tickets. Learn what's in this video clip.

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Money 911: Which Bills to Ignore?

Jean Chatzky, David Bach and I answer viewers' financial questions — from car loans to student loans to affording your bills without enough income.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Return, Sell or Swap Holiday Gifts

Remember the pink bunny suit Ralphie got from his aunt in A Christmas Story? That tops the nuttiest holiday gifts of all time. It's too bad he didn't have a receipt.

We all get gifts we don't really need or want. And this year one in four Americans plan to return at least one holiday gift this year, according to Consumer Reports. As you examine your less-than-ideal gifts this holiday season (and you know you'll get them), here are some tips on navigating returns, along with a few more ways to dispose of unwanted gifts.

Return

Returns are easiest when you have the receipt.  Without it, downsides include getting rejected at the store or, due to post-holiday sales, receiving store credit for the current discounted value of the item, as opposed to what your friend may have actually paid.

There are some exceptions. Retailers like Nordstrom and Bloomingdales "sticker" all their merchandise at the time of purchase with a special tag that proves both the date of purchase and the original purchase price.

For household products and electronics, if you don't have the receipt, at least remember to keep the gift intact and in its original packaging. In some cases you may face a 15% restocking fee for certain items that have been opened. (Although Best Buy just got rid of its restocking policy. Nice!)

And remember return deadlines! With returning electronics – from computers to camcorders and iPods – you may have a shorter return window; many stores like Best Buy and Apple have a 14-day return policy for certain goods.

Click to MoneyWatch here for more on how to sell and swap gifts.

GMA: Housing Brief

The National Association of Realtors said home sales rose 5.6% in November, a rebound from October's slump. While that may offer a glimmer of hope for a real estate recovery, year-over-year sales are down 28%. We've still got a ways to go. In this morning's segment on GMA, George Stephanopoulos and I review the current housing numbers and what lies ahead for 2011.

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Last Minute Holiday Gifts

With four days left until Christmas, I caught up with Real Simple Magazine's Sarah Humphreys to learn some easy last-minute gifts you can make from home and for very little money. Here's what we found:

How Much to Tip the Doorman?

Tis the season for tipping and here in New York City, we, apartment dwellers, may be scratching our heads over what to tip the building staff.  I've decided to re-post last year's advice, with some updates. BrickUnderground's Teri Karush Rogers offers a thorough tipping guide here.

Here's an old post you may find helpful:

A recent money blunder of mine: How to determine bonuses for the nine building workers – doormen, porters, building manager, etc. – in my old building, where I moved out eight months ago and currently sublet. And what about my current building? There's a staff of about eight or so people here, but I've only been living here for four months. The previous renter here left in the spring and – I assume – didn't hand out any tips on her way out.

After much debate and reading this recent post in the New York Times real estate Q&A section I came up with two solutions.

For my old apartment, which I still own and sublet: My subletter started in Sept., so I am offering to pay 75% of the recommended bonus per employee, which ranges from $60 to $100. I dropped off the cards to my tenant with my portion. He just needs to add his dollars and we're good to go. I signed the cards with both our names. My renter thought this was a fair plan. This way, the staff still gets a full year's bonus and it comes from both old and new residents.

For my new apartment where I am renting from the owners (who haven't lived in the building for years), I decided to pay the bonuses as if I'd been living here all year. Maybe that wasn't technically necessary, but I see it as money well spent. Our building employees offer protection and privacy. They work very hard. When I was moving in this summer I remember them being extremely helpful – despite our board's strict 9 to 5 moving hours policy. Annual bonuses to them are like tips to service staff at restaurants. According to New York Magazine, "doormen add cachet, but they don't cash in," earning –  at best – $32,000 a year.

Web Safety: Prevent I.D. Theft

Our latest "Financially Fit" installment for Yahoo!Finance explains the top 5 ID threats on the internet and how to protect your identity when browsing or online shopping. Click on the video below.

4 Easy (and Free) Ways to Donate

Studies show charitable giving fell in 2010. A casualty of the recession, I suppose. So to encourage charity, here are four easy ways to give back without necessarily having to write a check.

Donate while you shop – for no extra charge: At GoodShop.org, the online shopping mall donates a percentage of every purchase from more than 700 stores to your favorite charity. Whether you use it to buy a book from Amazon, cosmetics from Sephora or a plasma TV from Best Buy, you pay the same price, but a percentage (it varies between .5% and 9% depending on the store) is designated for the charity of your choice.

Donate while you search: Similarly, at search engine GoodSearch.com, as you search for holiday recipes and gifts this winter, you could be raising funds for your favorite charity at zero cost to you. GoodSearch is a Yahoo powered search engine that donates a penny per search to your favorite cause. And the pennies add up – just 500 people searching four times a day raises about $7,000 a year.

Transfer Card Points to Charity: At the end of the year, take a look at how many points your credit card has earned. You can pretty much do anything you like with the points including buying gift cards for family and friends as gifts, shopping for yourself or giving to your favorite charity. Not only will this be like a free charitable donation, you can still get the tax write-off so you can get a bigger tax refund.

Buy Charitable Stamps. Your holiday cards can serve as donation vehicles. Certain holiday stamps purchased through the United States Postal Service are dedicated to charitable causes. Visit USPS.com.

Photo courtesy: Monica's Dad's Photostream on Flickr

The Nate Berkus Show!

Today I revisited the Nate Berkus show. How I made it through my financial tips without drooling all over him is still a mystery. Seriously, though, it was so much fun. Learn how to lower your costs in nearly every room in your house. The video is below.

Nate Berkus: Save Money in Every Room

Today I revisited the Nate Berkus show. How I made it through my financial tips without drooling all over him is still a mystery.